Oct. 28, 2013: We've scoured the Web to find the best and most compelling animal stories, videos and photos. And it's all right here.

Arizona Humane Society

Elijah poses with the Davis family.

Hiker Saves Pit Bull’s Life

Andi Davis wasn’t sure she trusted Pit Bulls. But on Friday, during a hike in Arizona, she found one who changed her mind. Davis came across a 2-year-old dog lying down and not moving on a steep mountainside trail. She gave the 47-pound dog a sip of water and then carried him down to the bottom of the mountain, half a mile away. Davis’ husband and 10-year-old daughter, Jessi, met her there and they brought the pup to the Arizona Humane Society. There, they were told that the dog they’d named Elijah was suffering from gunshot wounds. He was treated and the Davis family brought him home. “He has completely changed my mind about what a Pit Bull is and isn't," said Andi Davis. He joins the family’s three other dogs at their home. — Read it at the Huffington Post

FDA Proposes New Pet Food Rules

Days after the Food and Drug Administration asked veterinarians to help with its continuing investigation into pet deaths and illnesses related to jerky treats, the agency announced its proposal of new safety regulations for pet food and animal feed. The new regulations are aimed at preventing foodborne illness in animals and people. Under the rules, pet food producers that sell their products in the U.S. would need to provide written plans for preventing food-borne illness and how they could confront any problems with it. Also, the producers would be required to follow standard manufacturing practices, addressing issues like sanitation for the first time. "Unlike safeguards already in place to protect human foods, there are currently no regulations governing the safe production of most animal foods," said Daniel McChesney, director of the Office of Surveillance and Compliance at FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine. "This rule would change that." The proposal is open to public comment for 120 days. — Read it at Discovery News

Vermont Puppy Tests Positive for Rabies

The Tillson family was heartbroken to have to put down their sick 9-week-old rescue puppy last week — and shocked when they found out later that she had rabies. Julie Tillson and her family had adopted Scarlet from a New York shelter. "She was spunky and she was adorable and just full of it,” Tillson said. But the puppy soon became ill and wasn’t recovering. This was Vermont’s first case of rabies in a domestic dog since 1994. The shelter that Scarlet came from had mistakenly given the Tillsons paperwork saying she’d had the rabies vaccine, but she was too young to get it at the time. It’s unclear how she contracted the disease, but now, all of the people and animals who came in contact with the puppy are being treated with multiple shots over a 2-week period. — Watch it at Vermont’s WCAX

WWF

The titi monkey, which is already listed as critically endangered, is among the newly discovered species.

Monkey Among New Species

Some 441 completely new species have been discovered living in the Amazon rainforest, reports the World Wildlife Federation. Among them is a titi monkey, left, who purrs like a cat when it’s content — but who may already be facing extinction due to habitat destruction and fragmentation. The new species include 258 plants, 84 fish, 58 amphibians, 22 reptiles, 18 birds and 1 mammal (the monkey). Scientists from around the world developed the list between 2010 and 2013. “The amazing Amazon rain forest … is under threat from deforestation and dam development,” said Claudio Maretti, leader of the Living Amazon Initiative at WWF. “We cannot allow this natural heritage to be lost forever.” — See more photos at National Geographic

Elephant Sanctuary Opens in Florida

The 225-acre National Elephant Center opened in Fellsmere, Fla., earlier this year. It will be home to 45 African elephants, including Thandi and Moyo, who have been inseparable since they were found in the 1980s as orphaned calves in Zimbabwe. The pair lived at a Tacoma, Wash., zoo and then at Disney’s Animal Kingdom before moving to the sanctuary so they would have more space. Experts say African elephants in the wild are being killed by poachers at a rate of 35,000 to 50,000 per year for their valuable ivory tusks. “It’s important for us to have a backup plan” to conservation efforts, said executive director John Lehnhardt. “We want to be able to develop a self-sustaining population of elephants.” — Watch it at Today